how I use penguin faeces to measure contaminants in Antarctica

“In this image, I’m collecting faecal samples from Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) on Horseshoe Island, off the Antarctic Peninsula at about 68° S. As an analytical chemist, my research focuses on detecting trace contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides and microplastics.

It’s always been a dream of mine to travel to Antarctica, and I loved every minute. We follow strict rules to protect the wildlife, including wearing a protective suit. We also try to keep a distance from penguins and any other wildlife, such as the Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) that I’m pictured with, but some animals are naturally curious and difficult to avoid.

My university in Istanbul runs research trips to this site every year, coordinated by the Turkish government and Marmara Research Center in Gebze, Turkey. It’s a long journey from Istanbul — around 16,000 kilometres and ten days of travel. We first fly to Brazil, then to northern Chile, then down to Patagonia; finally we take a flight to South Georgia, from where we travel by boat.